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Lisa Begin-Kruysman

About Lisa Begin-Kruysman

Originally from New Jersey, artist/writer/blogger Lisa Begin-Kruysman has called Southeast Georgia her home for the past two and a half years. It was during a road trip last October, when she and her husband Rich were returning south after celebrating their 25th Wedding Anniversary, that he became ill, passing just four weeks later. The author of several books, including Dog's Best Friend (McFarland & Co. 2014) mostly inspired by the special human-canine bond, Lisa serves on the Board of Directors for the Dog Writers Association of America and now returns to blogging posting for Widow's Voice with the intention of sharing her personal experience of widowhood with those who know the struggles first-hand and to perhaps help those who struggle to understand the daily challenges facing those who've lost a spouse or significant other.

Growing in Circles

Posted on: March 18, 2023 | Posted by: Lisa Begin-Kruysman

Last Saturday I wrote about staying in place after losing a spouse or significant other. It isn’t easy to stay in a home that looks the same to everyone else, but doesn’t feel the same to the one who remains in that space alone.  But many choose to remain in place, attempting to create a […]

Categories: Widowed and Healing, Widowed Milestones, Widowed Emotions, Widowed Signs from Loved One, Miscellaneous

Staying in Place

Posted on: March 11, 2023 | Posted by: Lisa Begin-Kruysman

I remember the day I drove home from the hospital up in Brunswick, Georgia, with the hard realization that Rich would never be walking up to our front door again. That is a sobering and defining moment. During the 3 weeks he’d spent in the ICU, each drive home was filled with a glimmer of […]

Categories: Widowed Memories, Widowed and Healing, Widowed Milestones, Widowed Belongings, Widowed Emotions, Widowed Community, Miscellaneous

March-ing Forth with The Memory Keepers

Posted on: March 4, 2023 | Posted by: Lisa Begin-Kruysman

February was a busy time on several fronts. The local Art Gala that had taken months of committee work and preparation for me as an organizer and participating artist was a great success. The hard work, anxiety and anticipation over. Just a few days later, my brother and his wife arrived in Georgia for a […]

Categories: Widowed Effect on Family/Friends, Widowed Memories, Widowed and Healing, Widowed Anniversaries, Widowed Milestones, Widowed Emotions, Multiple Losses

Trains of Thought

Posted on: February 25, 2023 | Posted by: Lisa Begin-Kruysman

One of the most significant milestones for those who find themselves widowed is dealing with the items that belonged to your spouse, or significant other. Some people handle that task soon after the death of their partner, others wait for months, if not years, before they can bring themselves to do it.  Closets. Armoires. Desks. […]

Categories: Widowed Memories, Widowed and Healing, Widowed Milestones, Widowed Belongings, Widowed Emotions, Widowed Signs from Loved One, Multiple Losses, Uncategorized

Resilience at One Year and Four Months

Posted on: February 18, 2023 | Posted by: Lisa Begin-Kruysman

It’s hard to believe that this will be my 21st Post for Widow’s Voice. Almost half a year of posting now. People ask if it’s hard to conjure up something new to write about each week. Sometimes it’s a bit challenging. Lot’s of energy goes in to a post. Usually I have an idea or […]

Categories: Widowed Memories, Widowed and Healing, Widowed Milestones, Widowed Emotions, Widowed Community, Uncategorized

Happily Paired, or “Quirkyalone”, Happy Valentines Day

Posted on: February 11, 2023 | Posted by: Lisa Begin-Kruysman

Last Saturday, I was fortunate to join other local artists for an art gala in my local community. It had been many years since I’d exhibited at or had been involved in the organization of such an event. Congratulations to the members of the Osprey Cove Women’s Club, my fellow committee members and the supportive […]

Categories: Widowed Effect on Family/Friends, Widowed Memories, Widowed and Healing, Widowed Holidays, Widowed Milestones, Widowed Emotions, Widowed Therapy, Miscellaneous, Uncategorized

The Art of Celebrating a Life Well-Lived

Posted on: February 4, 2023 | Posted by: Lisa Begin-Kruysman

Today my late husband Rich will celebrate a birthday in the Afterlife. I don’t know how birthday anniversaries are celebrated in that world, but down here I will be celebrating the occasion in a unique and personal way by participating in my first art event since I can’t even recall. Thinking June of 2019. As […]

Categories: Widowed Anniversaries, Widowed Milestones, Widowed Belongings

Getting Back

Posted on: January 28, 2023 | Posted by: Lisa Begin-Kruysman

One of the biggest challenges of adjusting to life as a widow is trying to hold on to the memory of the life you had as part of a long-time couple while trying to remember the “Me” before “We”. In my case, recalling the latter is tied closely to the former. Last week I started […]

Categories: Widowed Memories, Widowed and Healing, Widowed Anniversaries, Widowed Emotions, Widowed Therapy, Miscellaneous

Powering Through 

Posted on: January 21, 2023 | Posted by: Lisa Begin-Kruysman

In the spring of 2014, I was diagnosed with a thyroid disease called Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis. My doctor proclaimed it was the worst case he’d ever seen and classified my case as Myxedema, another term for severely advanced hypothyroidism, a condition that occurs when your body doesn’t produce enough thyroid hormone. As January is Thyroid Awareness […]

Categories: Widowed Effect on Family/Friends, Widowed and Healing, Widowed Therapy, Miscellaneous

Taking the Longview

Posted on: January 13, 2023 | Posted by: Lisa Begin-Kruysman

It is pretty special to be able to post on the occasion of my birthday. I note that today, Saturday January 14, is also Organize Your Home Day, an Awareness Observances that encourages us to declutter our homes, lives and ultimately our minds. Last year, on this very day, my family house in Hackensack, New […]

Categories: Widowed Memories, Widowed Birthdays, Widowed Milestones, Widowed Belongings, Widowed Emotions, Multiple Losses

Tapping in to The “Terrible Two-Year”

Posted on: January 7, 2023 | Posted by: Lisa Begin-Kruysman

Posting here each Saturday has been an incredible opportunity. I love when someone tells me they’ve shared my post(s) with someone else who’s lost a spouse or experienced another kind of significant loss. Even those who haven’t have expressed their appreciation for the insight they’ve derived from some of these posts. That is what keeps […]

Categories: Widowed Effect on Family/Friends, Widowed and Healing, Widowed Milestones, Widowed Emotions, Widowed Therapy, Widowed Suddenly, Widowed by Illness, Multiple Losses

Observance Breeds Awareness

Posted on: December 31, 2022 | Posted by: Lisa Begin-Kruysman

It seems like every day, week, and month there’s an official Awareness Observance for just about every thing under the sun. For instance, as I write we’re in the midst of Spiritual Literacy Month established in 1996 to encourage us to read books with spiritual themes, we are also currently in the middle of “It’s […]

Categories: Widowed Memories, Widowed and Healing, Widowed Milestones, Widowed Emotions, Widowed Therapy, Widowed Community, Miscellaneous

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